Sign receptacle



Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL M. LE FEVER,OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PASS & SEYMOUR, IN-

CORPORATED, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SIGNRECEPTACLE Application filed December 30, 1926. Serial No. 158,040.

This invention relates to electric lamp receptacles and moreparticularly to what are known as sign receptacles.

It is a general object of the'present invention to provide a novel andimproved sign and having a shank engaged in the insulating body wherebythe socket may be applied from the rear face of the sign plate andadequately retained in position during the wiring operation until thesingle workman can apply a further fastening means from the front of theplate.

Other and'further objects of the invention will bemore apparent to thoseskilled in the art by a consideration of the accompanying drawing andfollowing specification, wherein is disclosed a single exemplaryembodiment of the invention, it being understood however that variouschanges might be made therein such as fall within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing:

- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign plate having a socket,constructed according to the present invention, applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the receptacle partially fitted to the signplate, which is shown in section on line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is aView similar to Figure 2 but showing the receptacle completelypositioned and fastened to the sign plate, portions of the receptaclebeing alsoshown in section; and

Figure 4cis a perspective view of the resilient attaching means.

Like figures of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawing.

In the copending application of 'M. N. Russell and J. W. Brooks for.electric signs,

Serial No. 151,803,-filed on November 30, 1926,

there is disclosed a sign receptacle which can be attached to a signplate from the rear face thereof in a temporary manner whereby a singleworkman may attach the receptacle and wire the same and then apply thefinal attaching means from the front of the sign plate whereby a singleworkman may apply the receptacles without assistance on large signs. Thepresent invent-ion contemplates an improvement on the disclosure in thata plication, comprising a simplified attac fiing means formed from but asingle piece of material and adapted to be snapped into position in theinsulating base of the receptacle.

Referring to the drawing, there is disclosed at 10 the metal plateforming the face of the sign. It is perforated to form a circular holeas shown at 11 and the pair of oppositely disposed radial slots 12leading from the hole. The receptacle comprises essentially theinsulating body 13 provided with a recess enclosing the center contact14 and the screw shell contact 15. The front face 16 of the in-'sulating body is plane and is adapted to abut against the rear face ofthe plate 10; It is preferably provided with the integral circularflange 17 which is so sized as to pass read- 'ily thru the circular hole11 so as to accurately position the receptacle in respect to the plateand to prevent any sliding movement of one in respect to the other.

The shape of the insulating body is immaterial but .as shown it isprovided with the wings or extensions 18 and 19 near the front facethereof and having their faces coextensive with the surface 16. Theextension 18 is provided with a bore 18 reduced in diameter near thecenter in order to receive the the receptacle to the plate, the head 22of the screw engaging the outer face of the plate 10.

To provide a temporary attachment for the receptacle which later forms apart of the permanent attachment, the insulating body mal plane.

.-of the shank and the head.

and the extension 19 are drilled or otherwise provided with a suitablehole 23, preferably rectangular in cross section and extending from theback of the extension 19 to the face 16. in position to register withthe opposite slot 12 in the sign plate. This hole is adapted to receivethe bowed shank 24: of the attaching device shown in Figure 4. Integralwith the shank is a flat head substantially circular in plan andnormally almost at right angles to the chord of the shank. The shank isattached to the edge of the head and diametrically opposite theattaching point the head is curved, as shown at 26, out of its nor- Theopposite end of the shank is bent over in the same direction as thehead,

' as shown at 27, and the end 28 thereof turns downwardly somewhattoward the head.

The hole 23 is enlarged on the outer side in the back of the extension19 to form the shoulder 29. The shoulder may project slightly higheradjacent the wall of the hole 23 than somewhat remote therefrom toprovide a slight depression behind the shoulder. The length of theattaching means between the inner face of the head 25 and the end 28 issubstantially equal to the distance between the depression 30 and theface 16. The width of the hole is substantially equivalent to the widthof the shank 28.

After the attaching means has been formed to the proper configuration itmay be secured to the insulating body by inserting the shank thru thehole 23 and pressing on the junction This will cause the end 28 to snapover the shoulder 29 and drop into the groove 30 where it will be heldin position by the resilience of the shank. The bow of the shank issuflicient to substantially cause the central portion thereof to engagethe inner wall of the hole 23. The inner face of the head 25 will thusbe held normally against the face 16.

In attaching a receptacle to the sign plate it is first positionedsubstantially as shown in Figure 2 with the head 25 just passing overthe edge of the hole 11 at one of the slots 12. The curved end of thehead enables it to he slid over the edge of the plate and a conltinuedmovement causes the shank, adjacent the head, to pass into the slot 12until sufiicient movement of the insulating body is attained to allowthe flange 17 to drop into the hole 11. The resilience of the attachingmeans,

which is made from suitable springy mathe flange which prevents anyrotation about the attaching means. When thus attached the receptaclemay be wired in the usual manner and finally the workman may apply thescrew 21 from the front of the sign plate, all

the other operations having been performed from the rear side thereof.The temporary securing means becomes a portion of the permanent securingmeans after the screw 21 has been attached and the receptacle is rigidlyattached to the sign plate at two points.

The extreme simplicity of the automatic attaching means will beappreciated. It will be seen that it is made from a single strip ofmetal which can be punched to size and shape and snapped into theinsulating material at the time of its manufacture. The attachment ofthe securing means to the insulating body is automatic and unfailing.The operation ,of securing the receptacle to the sign plate is extremelysimple and yet the receptacle is held with considerable force againstthe backof the sign plate so that the wiring operation can be performedwithout the workman moving to the front to add the additional securingmeans to the receptacle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a body of insulatingmaterial having a face adapted to abut the back of a sign plate, saidbody having a hole therein opening into said face and a member having ahead in engagement with said face, and a resilient extensible shanksecured in said hole.

2. In an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a lamp contactreceiving body of insulating'material having a face adapted to abut theback of a sign plate,- said body having a hole therein opening into saidface, a ledge near the end of said hole remote from said face and amember of resilient material having a head in engagement with said facewhen the body is not mounted on a sign plate, a shank secured-to saidhead and arranged in said hole, and a part on said shank engaged oversaid ledge to normally retain the head in engagement with said face.

3. In an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a body of insulatingmaterial-having a face adapted to abut the back of a sign plate, saidbody having a hole therein opening into said face, a shoulder in saidhole remote from said face, a member of resilient material having a headin engagement with.

said face, and a curved shank in said hole said shank being engaged oversaid shoulder.

4. in an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a lamp contactreceiving body of insulating material having-a face adapted to abut theback of a sign'plate, means on said body to engage said plate to preventsliding of said body along said face, said'bo'dy having a hole thereinopening into said face, an attachment member having a head adapted toengage the front of saidplate, when the body is mounted thereon toprevent rearward movement of said body fromthe plate, said member havingan integral portion passing into said hole, an enlargement at the rearend of said hole forming a shoulder, and a hook on said integral portionresiliently engaging said shoulder. v

5. In an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a body of insulatingmaterial having a face adapted to abut the back of a sign plate, saidbody having a hole therein opening into said face, a securing memberhaving a head normally in engagement with said face, a curved resilientshank on said member arranged in said hole, and means attaching the endof said shank remote from said head directly to said insulating body.

6. In an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a body of insulatingmaterial having a face adapted to abut the back of a sign plate, saidbody having a hole therein opening into said face, an enlargement ofsaid hole forming a shoulder at one side of the hole remote from saidface, a securing member having a part normally in engagement with saidface, said member having a shank curved longitudinally and arranged insaid hole and an end on said shank adapted to hook over said shoulder toretain the member in position.

7 In an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a-body of insulatingmaterial having a face adapted to abut the back of a sign plate, saidbody having a hole therein opening into said face, an enlargement ofsaid hole forming a shoulder at one side of the hole remote from saidface, a securing member having a part normally in engagement With saidface,

said member having a shank curved longitudinally and arranged in saidhole and an end on said shank adapted to hook over said shoulder toretain the member in position, said curved shank engaging the Walls ofsaid hole to resiliently retain said end over said shoul-'- der.

In testimony Whereof'I hereunto aflix my signature.

DANIEL M. LE FEVER.

